Delayed start for kindergarten students enters third year

While more than 2,200 students filed into the halls of RCS for the first day of classes Thursday, only a handful of them were kindergarten students. And they were accompanied by their parents.

Through a unique program at RCS, kindergarten students will start school with a three-day adjustment period during which they accompany their parents on hour-long visits with their teachers and schools.

The visit also includes a trip onto school buses and a tour of the school.

The first full day of kindergarten for students will be Tuesday, September 11.

The initiative is designed to make new kindergarten students more comfortable with the learning environment and help avoid any separation anxiety, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Diane Albano said.

“We hope, by instituting this slow startup, that we can start the school experience on a better footing for these students and create a happier and more rewarding kindergarten experience,” she said.

Kindergarten teachers said the program – which has been in place for three years ­– has resulted in:

• No meltdowns by anxious students – or their mothers.
• Parents having an opportunity to provide teachers with  their children’s' history, thus allowing teachers a chance to prepare for the individual needs of the students
• Children more at ease on the first day

Parents and kindergarten students will attend one-hour sessions on September 6, 7, and 10 with the teacher.  The first full day of classes for kindergarteners will be Tuesday, September 11.